Standing in the Need of Prayer: A Modern Retelling of the Classic Spiritual

Beginning with images of chattel slavery and ending with spreads showing Black luminaries, the creators offer an absorbing rendition of the legendary spiritual: a legacy in song and portraiture that depicts Black Americans’ achievements across an anti-Black history. In Boston Weatherford’s four-line verses, those “standing in the need of prayer” describes “families enslaved and sold apart,” then “millions on the move in the Great Migration,” members of the civil rights movement, and “record-breaking athletes,” leading to a contemporary image of children: “It’s me, O Lord.” Morrison’s imagery brings Black history to life, portraying hundreds of years of experiences to the rhythm of a song that moves beyond the religious and into the broadly reverential. Weatherford and Morrison successfully elevate a classic song, rendering it as relevant and profound across time. Ages 6–9. (Sept.)